German 178
Introduction to the German Language and Culture

First year level module
Credits : 24 credits
Duration: one year (semester 1 and 2)
Composition : 3 lectures, 1 tutorial and 1 practical per week
Admission requirements: This module is offered for beginners; no prior knowledge of German is required.

German 178 is designed to provide basic intercultural communication skills. It enables students to understand, speak, read and - to a lesser degree - write contemporary German in everyday situations which includes a basic knowledge of contemporary life in the German speaking countries.

• Introductory language study
• Introduction to contemporary German culture on the basis on selected topics
• Analysis of texts related to these topics

Generic Outcomes

Students who have completed the module successfully are able to understand, speak, read and (to a lesser extent) write German in everyday situations. Students will also have gained a basic knowledge of contemporary German society.

Specific Outcomes

After completing the German 178 module successfully, students are able to

• talk about themselves, their life and surroundings, the weather, their likes and dislikes and other basic conversational topics;
• understand basic texts;
• express themselves using the past and future tenses;
• write a personal letter;
• understand and react to a basic conversation in German.

 

German 188
German Language, Literature and Culture of the 20th and 21st Centuries

First year level module
Duration : one year (semester 1 and 2)
Credits : 24
Composition : 3 lectures per week
Admission requirements : This module is offered for students who passed German in grade 12 or have an equivalent qualification.

German 188 is designed as an introduction to contemporary and 20th century German literature, culture and history. The language of tuition is German.

• A cultural-historical overview of the period on the basis of selected topics
• Analysis of texts related to these topics
• Intermediate language studies

Generic Outcomes

Students who have completed the module successfully are able to use German with ease in a wide variety of situations and to analyse and discuss literary texts in the form of poetry, short stories, plays and novels, against the background of a basic knowledge of contemporary German society.

Specific Outcomes

After completing the German 188 module successfully, a student is able to

• talk with ease about events, emotions and everyday life in the German speaking countries, using a wide range of vocabulary and making use of synonyms and idiomatical expressions;
• understand and analyse a literary work and express his/her opinion both orally and in writing;
• conduct an interactive conversation in German with ease;
• pass the Zertifikat Deutsch examination.

 

German 278
Intermediate Study of the German Language, Literature and Culture

Second year level module
Duration : one year (semester 1 and 2)
Credits : 32
Composition : 3 lectures and 1 practical per week
Admission requirements: successful completion of German 178 or an equivalent qualification.

This module leads to an intermediate proficiency in reading, writing and speaking German and includes an introduction to German literature. The language of tuition is mainly German.

• Continued language study
• Concepts and principles of German as a foreign language
• Comparative Landeskunde, based on selected topics
• Analysis of texts related to these topics

Generic Outcomes

Students who have completed the course successfully are able to

• understand texts (in the widest sense of the word) through insight into communication processes, a knowledge of basic theoretical principles and a critical consciousness of resemblances and differences between the source and target cultures;
• to give written and oral proof of the skills and knowledge gained in the module.

Specific Outcomes

This second-year module leads to an intermediate proficiency in German. Like the first-year module, it focuses on present-day Germany, but includes a historical dimension. The emphasis falls on students' abilities

• to understand and to use texts (in the extensive meaning of the term) by way of contrasting cultures, which requires, among other things,
  — an insight into communication processes,
  — an understanding of the basic principles of textual analysis,
  — a critical awareness of the differences between source and target culture;
  
• to demonstrate the above skills both orally and in writing. This implies reaching level B1 (threshold user) of the "Common European Framework for Languages" which is set out as follows: The student can
  — Understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
  — Deal with most situations likely to arise when travelling in an area where the language is spoken,
  — Produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest,
  — Describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

 

German 288
German Language, Literature and Culture of the 18th century to the present

Second year level module
Duration: one year (semester 1 and 2)
Credits : 32
Composition : 3 lectures
Admission requirements: successful completion of German 188 or an equivalent qualification

This module leads to an advanced proficiency in reading, writing and speaking German and includes the analysis and interpretation of German literature. The language of tuition is German.

• A cultural-historical overview of the period on the basis of selected topics
• Analysis of texts related to these topics
• Advanced language study

Generic Outcomes

Students who have completed the course module successfully are able to

• communicate in German with ease
• have an overview of the period within an interdisciplinary context

Specific Outcomes

After completing the German 288 course, students are able to

• understand, analyse and interpret texts (in the widest sense of the word);
• understand the relevance of literature and express their opinion about it;
• produce texts about a topic which are relevant, well-documented, stylistically sound and convincing;
• talk with ease about theme-related topics, enter into discussions and hold a short paper;
• conduct supervised research;

 

German 318
Advanced Study of the German Language and Culture I

Third year level module
Duration : one semester (semester 1)
Credits : 24 credits
Composition : 2 lectures, 2 seminars per week
Admission requirements: successful completion of German 278 or German 288 or an equivalent qualification

German 348
Advanced Study of the German Language and Culture II

Third year level module
Duration : one semester (semester 2)
Credits : 24 credits
Composition : 2 lectures, 2 seminars per week

The modules 318 and 348 lead to an advanced proficiency in reading, writing and speaking German and includes an introduction to the analysis and interpretation of German literature. The language of tuition is German.

Generic Outcomes

Students who have completed both modules successfully are able to

• understand and use texts (in the widest sense of the word) through insight into communication processes, an understanding of the basic principles of textual analysis and a critical consciousness of resemblances and differences between the source and target cultures;
• give written and oral proof of their skills and knowledge

Specific Outcomes

After completing the modules German 318 and 348, students are able to

• understand German with ease in specific situations
• speak with a good degree of fluency
• read with understanding and to write fairly correctly
• be able to explain the South African reality to German speaking persons
• have a critical consciousness of the similarities and differences between the South African and the German culture.

 

German 328
Advanced Study of German Literature and Culture I

Duration: one semester (semester 1)
Credits : 24
Composition : 3 lectures, 1 practical per week
Admission requirements: successful completion of German 288 or German 278 or an equivalent qualification

German 358
Advanced Study of German Literature and Culture II

Third year level module
Duration: one semester (semester 2)
Credits : 24
Composition : 3 lectures, 1 practical per week

The modules 328 and 358 lead to an advanced proficiency in reading, writing and speaking German and focus on the analysis and interpretation of German literature. The language of tuition is German.

Generic Outcomes

Students who have completed the module successfully

• are able to critically analyse and differentiate between texts (in the widest sense of the word)
• are able to apply textual analysis within an interdisciplinary context
• will have gained insight into literary theory and epochs

Specific Outcomes

After completing the German 328 and 358 modules, students are able to

• conduct independent research
• analyse and interpret texts (in the widest sense of the word)
• identify communication processes through means of a contrastive and intercultural approach
• critically assess differences and similarities between source and target cultures
• confidently debate issues individually and within a group
• express themselves fluently both orally and in writing.

 

Die nachstehenden Angaben richten sich insbesondere an Leser, die mit dem südafrikanischen Hochschulsystem nicht vertraut sind.

Studienaufbau

Das Studium gliedert sich in vier Phasen; es kann

• nach 6 Semestern mit dem Bachelor-Grad (B.A.)
• nach 8 Semestern mit dem Honours-Grad (B.A. Honours)
• nach mindestens 10 Semestern mit dem Master (M.A.)
• und nach mindestens 14 Semestern mit der Promotion (PhD) abgeschlossen werden

Deutsch ist, im Rahmen bestimmter Studienprogramme (z.B. B.A. in Humanities, B.A. in Languages and Culture), mit vielen anderen Fächern der Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences kombinierbar. Für die Aufnahme gelten die allgemeinen Zulassungsbedingungen der Universität. Die Unterrichtssprache in allen Kursen ist grundsätzlich Deutsch.

Der B.A.-Studiengang

Der B.A.-Studiengang dient der kritischen Orientierung innerhalb der Fremdkultur. Er besteht aus Kursen, in denen deutsche Sprache, Literatur und Kultur sowie entsprechende wissenschaftliche Arbeitsweisen integrativ vermittelt werden. Jeder Kurs hat ein Thema, das einen Bereich der Fremdkultur erhellt. Zu jedem Thema werden Texte zur intensiven Erarbeitung und zur extensiven Lektüre bereitgestellt, so dass Studierende im Laufe der drei Jahre einen Überblick über die deutsche Literatur im weitesten Sinne erhalten, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf der zeitgenössischen Literatur liegt. Sie wird durch ein chronologisch rückläufiges Vorgehen als Resultat historischer Prozesse verdeutlicht. Der Bachelor-Grad ermöglicht die Zulassung zum Honours und danach zu verschiedenen Master-Studiengängen.

Der Anfängerkurs Deutsch 178 führt ohne weiteres nach Deutsch 278. Fremdsprachige Kandidaten mit Matrikabschluss in Deutsch als Fremdsprache belegen den Kurs Deutsch 188. Kandidaten mit Matrikabschluss in Deutsch als Muttersprache können nach einer Eignungsprüfung direkt zum zweiten Studienjahr (Deutsch 288) zugelassen werden, müssen aber stattdessen eine zusätzliche Sprache oder Linguistik auf Erstjahresebene belegen.

Der B.A.Honours-Studiengang (B.A. Hons.)

Das Honours-Studium dient der Einführung in die Forschung. Die Studierenden belegen drei verschiedene Module und schließen ihren Grad mit einer umfangreichen Forschungsarbeit ab.

Der Master-Studiengang (M.A.)

Die Deutschabteilung ein Master-Studium an, das ausschließlich der Vertiefung der Forschung dient. Studierende werden hier ggf. an Forschungsprojekten der Dozenten beteiligt. In der Masterarbeit müssen Studierende ihre Befähigung zu selbständiger Arbeit nachweisen.

Der Doktorgrad (PhD)

Master-Absolventen können nach zwei mindestens weiteren Studienjahren mit einer Inaugural-Dissertation (PhD) promovieren und sich ggf. an Forschungsprojekten in der Abteilung beteiligen.